Force of Nature

DVD, TNG S7 (Force of Nature)

There's a reason I couldn't remember this one. I was trying to think: 'Force of Nature,' 'Force of Nature,' but I just could not recall what it was about. I thought it might be the one about Data's Mum, but if someone had said "the one with the cap on warp speed" I'd have realised which story. And then I'd have been in the dark again as it didn't all flood back. The blankness in my memory is the blankness of the episode. For it was this season's episode where grey aliens come aboard with their grey motives and everything's grey. At its heart the story is a valid argument against taking technology for granted, about what damage may unwittingly be committed by the unwary user. The biggest flaw, above and beyond the dullness factor, is that the ramifications of the bold decision to reduce the speed of warp travel to a paltry Warp 5, was never, to my knowledge, followed up on, making the episode exceedingly pointless.

It's not a complete waste of time, as Geordi and Data's friendship is at the fore, providing us with some lovable scenes between the three of them - Spot being the third character, and he/she/it gets centre stage like never before, so much so that I was waiting for the Spot-inspired solution to the problem of the episode. Indeed, the teaser was so mundane (in a homely kind of way), that I felt certain the episode would feature Spot at the centre of the plot. Instead such scenes are revealed to be merely filler, as enjoyable as Geordi and Data's (and Spot's!), interactions are, they don't make a weak episode strong.

The conceit of the story, that starships must travel much slower to reduce the damage being done to space, and that races must agree to this new directive (Warp Prime Directive, anyone?), could be a fascinating way to go, and I'd love to see a series set further into the future where the predicted problem had become a reality, leaving vast swathes of the galaxy cut off, warp travel only available to a privileged few. Sadly, as I mentioned before, they quickly realised how ridiculous it would be to have the Enterprise crawling around the galaxy. What had seemed like a brave new idea, undermining the very stage the Trek world had been built on, must have been seen as the difficult story element it was: unwieldy and unnecessarily altering the series forever. What if the Cardassians didn't agree to limit warp speed? Or the Romulans? They'd have advantages over the Federation and it would become an arms race of travel as the 'good' guys would have to keep up with the 'bad' guys. It could quickly become an intolerable situation. So instead of taking the leap, they played it safe and we have to assume everyone found a way to modify their engines to make damage negligible. Cop out, but probably a wise one for the franchise.

I wonder what the analogy of warp travel was supposed to be for? Was it nuclear power or some other energy or was there no real thought to a situation in the modern world? In that case it was just a badly thought out story with grey-clothed aliens who were unsympathetic and dull. I mean look at them. The sister was so grumpy and highly strung there was not the slightest reason to care when she 'sacrifices' herself. Compare and contrast with Gideon Seyetik from the 'DS9' episode 'Second Sight' and see it done properly. Equally, her brother showed barely a hint of emotion over her death, and the bridge crew weren't very sympathetic either. Where was Deanna to comfort him? Riker and Data make detached comments and Picard forcefully asks for help, and he's not able to suggest anything helpful, anyway. It shouldn't be a surprise that when humanity got to the stars, even space would be fouled up with their impact on it, but it's hardly in line with the usually positive galactic view of the series.

If only Geordi had had Guinan to talk to when he went to Ten Forward. A scene with her would have enlivened things. Instead, the episode limps along, not even the semi-subplot of Geordi's competitiveness with his rival on another ship actually went anywhere. Not seeing the Fleming was a bad editorial choice, and after we'd already seen two or three ships in the episode there was no reason to withhold it. To look on the bright side, the spatial phenomena was beautiful to look at, and the appearance of a Ferengi, post-Season 1 of 'DS9' clearly showed how much had been taken on board about the race already. DaiMon Prak was very much a 'DS9' specimen (also in a literal sense, since the actor had played one in 'The Nagus'). Seeing what appeared to be a different Ferengi vessel also gave the episode a little spice, though not enough to make the difference, and as soon as Riker said the Ferengi weren't likely to let them beam over, I mentally added, 'neither would the budget.' The very definition of a modern major average. There really is very little to remember.

**

Revelations

DVD, Stargate SG-1 S5 (Revelations)

They owed it to the characters not to ignore the fact that the dynamic had suddenly changed with Daniel's apparent death (or 'ascension'), so Carter's sad scene in Daniel's lab at the office was essential. She does come across as a bit whiny while the other two are butch and taking it like men, but overall it felt just about right in tone, especially with General Hammond's story about his lost friend in Vietnam. Did they leave the question of whether Daniel had actually died vague because they thought they might bring him back one day, or were they just leaving their options open with no real expectation that Michael Shanks would be back? Either way, it was touchingly done, and I appreciated that Jonas Quinn wasn't brought into this episode - he's not even mentioned. Nothing against Jonas, but the SG-1 team needed at least this episode in which to breathe and come to terms with where they were, and having them go off on a mission to save Heimdall must have been a blessed relief, for O'Neill, if not Carter. By the time they were heavily into their work she would probably have admitted it was a release from the grief, however temporary.

It would have been too much to lose two characters in back to back episodes, so I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised that Thor, O'Neill's Asgard 'buddy' wasn't dead after all, but trapped by the evil Osiris for the evil Anubis' pleasure. I have to say, and this applies to the season as a whole, not just this episode, that the computer effects work had noticeably gone up a couple of notches. I hadn't thought about it a whole lot through the season, but seeing the way the Asgard jumped between puppets and full CGI creations, I couldn't tell the difference except by knowing the constraints: Freya wouldn't have been zipping around so fast in earlier seasons, but impressively that model looked as good as the Thor version which, up close, must have been a puppet. I also appreciated the subtlety that had gone into making the three examples of the race that we see; Thor, Freya and Heimdall, into different beings, even though they look so alike. The characters came out successfully, especially the rather jaunty Heimdall, voiced by Teryl Rothery who played Dr. Janet Fraiser. The doc didn't appear, more's the pity, as I'd have loved to see her interact with herself (a la Brent Spiner on 'TNG'), or at least be in the same episode in more than one role (a la Jeffrey Combs on 'DS9').

Not to say the episode was jump out of your seat exciting - we don't even get to see a proper battle in space, merely enough to give us the idea the Goa'uld now have superior technology - so just as the production team's abilities increased, in CGI terms, so did the Goa'uld! Maybe Anubis was working for them? I think it was wise not to end on a cliffhanger as they usually do. They leave it with things looking bad, but we don't have Carter captured by Osiris, or Thor still needing to be rescued as it looked like might happen towards the end of the episode. For the series they were quite restrained, leaving us with the news that Anubis has brought technology with him that could potentially outgun the Asgard (if he had the numbers), and that Thor's in a coma, but the ending proper sees the remainder of the team going off to have a normal dinner together and experiencing a slight breeze that makes them pause for thought. The way Jack looks back as the breeze ruffles his hair, and smiles, is a beautiful moment, and clearly meant to be a little nod to Daniel, so the episode begins and ends on that note.

There were other moments of subtlety in the episode which it was a pleasure to catch, one of the most important, perhaps, being the look shared between the two servants of Osiris on her bridge when she's just given another order that will kill her own Jaffa. As I remember it, the movement against their Goa'uld masters only increased, but here the look was enough to remind us these people may not accept such orders forever. I also liked the holopad technology, specifically the moment O'Neill and Teal'c walk through Carter's holographic form, and also, being able to see both 'ends' of the tech, when earlier in the story we see Jack bending over Thor, and then cut back to the ship to see him bending over nothing.

I felt, while the episode wasn't a slam-bang triumph, it was a quiet, occasionally stalwart vision of the team carrying on in spite of their loss, and very nice to see them all working together, off on a mission again. The Asgard worked, and while I can nitpick about how Heimdall had no problem scanning Osiris' ship, yet she didn't appear to have internal scanners to be able to pinpoint the intruders, or that the extremely important shield controls were to be found in a nondescript corridor where anyone could blast them to pieces with one shot of a staff weapon, there were enough, yes, revelations, to keep the mind active: not only the reveal of Anubis as a big hoodie with only a pool of rippling blackness for a face (will he last longer than the series' previous hoodie; Sokar?), but also the backstory of the Asgard themselves - how they are cloned beings that lost the ability for biological reproduction a thousand years ago, and are now in need of new genetic material. But will they get it from that odd human-like bod they picked up off that ship that had been missing for 30,000 years?

Season 5, then. Positively, it looked significantly better; sharper, brighter and better lit. But it's all a bit of a mess in my head, it doesn't hang neatly together as a whole. There were plenty of enjoyable episodes, but it continued along the lines of the stories being mostly nothing special, and relying on the great characterisation to make us care. And I'm not sure even they were used evenly, perhaps why Shanks decided to leave? There were, however, major revelations throughout, about everything from the Replicators to the Jaffa, so they continued to build the universe. It's just a shame Daniel Jackson was written out, and I wait to see how Season 6 developed without him. Although I saw it in sequence originally, it's been so long…

***

Attached

DVD, TNG S7 (Attached)

Someone at the Federation fouled up somewhere along the line. I know the point of sending the Enterprise was to see if the Kes were worthy of membership, but they already knew the planet wasn't a unified whole - you'd think unification would be a bare minimum for joining the greatest conglomeration in the galaxy, yet the planet Kes-Prytt III has a cold war of non-communication with each other. Goodness only knows what Kes-Prytt I and II are like. Seriously, why was this Kes-Prytt III? It must be the third planet in a system, or we might have heard about the other two planets. We do get to hear talk of the Federation council and learn a bit more about the procedure of inducting a new member, and even the date of Earth's unification into one government: 2150. So that's only one year before 'Enterprise' and I don't remember them ever mentioning such things. Not that I can remember every detail, that's why I rely on reference books like the excellent Encyclopedia or Chronology (or nowadays, Memory Alpha online).

The aliens were middling variations on a theme, unlike last episode's new race, they didn't have a strong character. I enjoyed Ambassador Mauric's attitude and mannerisms, though I'm not sure why the Kes need an Ambassador if they don't have dealings with their neighbouring country - maybe they have some interstellar relations, which was what made them a possibility for joining the Federation. I would also point out that although this is an episode directed by Jonathan Frakes, Riker featured heavily, so it must have been a heavy workload for him. This may account for the episode lacking the flair that Frakes usually brings. Not that it's done badly, in fact there are some nice location shots with Crusher and Picard struggling through the landscape, but the story lacked the expected tension it needed.

Where connecting two main characters together so each can hear the other's most private thoughts should have led to a rising level of animosity or confusion that might have upped the ante and given the chase by Prytt security more danger, the two of them are allowed time to reflect on the other's thoughts, to reach an understanding of the other that they never knew before. This was the strength of the episode, but it was at the expense of the action. The situation existed solely for Picard and Crusher to read each other and reflect on their history, and could have been achieved without putting them on the run. The difficulty was that they seemed to feel it necessary to give some impetus to the story, but there's very little momentum when all we have to go on is the occasional shot of a Prytt on a hillside, the chase ending with Crusher pushing Picard through a gap in the forcefield. That would have been a more resonant act but for the fact that there was no danger at by then because Lorin orders her people to beam them both up to the Enterprise. It didn't help that the other story is Riker having words with the Kes representative (and I don't think the Federation would look kindly on his action in beaming up Lorin, the Prytt Security Minister, when he'd previously been against such actions for Picard and Crusher).

The other flaw with the story is that the attachment between the two is arrived at without much explanation. There's a reason along the lines that the Prytt were going to be able to read their minds once the tech had connected them to a certain level, but the capabilities and purpose weren't developed enough, leaving elements of the story feeling unfinished. And I don't just mean how it leaves the two officers. It was good that they addressed something that had been hanging around since the early seasons, but it also makes you think it should have been resolved more favourably. The final episode would destroy all hopes, and films were looming in which action man Picard 'had' to be a free agent, but by 'Nemesis' a happier ending wouldn't have gone amiss. I can't help noting again the wonderful tea set that Crusher's still using, which I always admire. And it's nice that they continue to share breakfast, though the episode leaves you wondering if they ever will again as they can't even mention it at that point.

***

Meridian

DVD, Stargate SG-1 S5 (Meridian)

These things work better if you're not expecting them, and I had been expecting Daniel's death for quite a while. I was pretty sure it was this season, but it had been so long since I'd thought about it that I'd actually forgotten. When I first saw it, nine years ago, I had been anticipating Michael Shanks' departure then, as it was a known event, but it had a little more resonance for me now because, even knowing that he was to pop up a few more times, and even return to the fold, I still don't know the whys and wherefores. I don't why he left, why they wrote him out in that way, and why he felt able to return. I'd love to know. More importantly, this viewing came in sequence, when I'd seen every episode up to this point, in sequence, so when they talk about five years of adventures I know it fully now, where before I only knew vaguely, as in a mirror darkly. Okay, maybe not that vague, but it does have an impact when you've seen these characters together for all these seasons, and then one dies.

I could debate the merits of the philosophy and all that Buddhist-type stuff Oma Desala was sounding off on, but I like to tidy things up by seeing it as a special thing done for Daniel because he knew about Ascension and all that stuff which is rarely touched on in the series, about the Ancients, the builders of the Stargates, and the deeper mythology, which I hope will be further explored. I think Desala was Mother Nature in the previous episodes (like the one with the little monk boy, etc), so it was an intriguing way of taking Daniel out of the series but still with the option to bring him back, while being able to milk the beauty and sadness, the joy of fresh, new life in another form, but also the deep sadness of parting.

The mechanics of Daniel's death were just as intriguing. I loved that he did that heroic thing, saving millions of lives, prompting Corin Nemec's Jonas Quinn to defect to the SGC, bringing a case of naquadria with him, an even more powerful form of the 'gate material, naqahdah. At first I didn't really believe in a scenario where Daniel could be exposed to death-giving levels of radiation, yet could still walk around the base, and as long as no one touched his right hand, they'd be fine. Also, I was wondering how they were going to deal with his extreme physical degradation on a family TV series where you can only show so much. It wouldn't have been enough to have those flecks of blood and see Jackson fall into a coma or whatever, so it made sense that they completely bandaged him up, almost as if he was being mummified for burial, which is a suitably apt analogy for the series.

The big deal, apart from Daniel's departure, was the arrival of the eager Jonas Quinn who took over the scientist role for the following season. I'm not sure how well he went down with the viewers, but I always liked him as he brought a fresh perspective to the series. But no one could have replaced Daniel so I wasn't entirely surprised that he only lasted the one season, but I remember thinking I'd have been fine with it if they'd decided to keep him on even when Jackson returned. The Kelownans weren't the most fleshed out race, but their fascination with the incredibly powerful technology they were experimenting with made me wonder if Earth (or specifically America's government), would have the ability to use such things any better. Maybe in the 'Stargate' universe, but not in the real world. The story certainly threw up many different quandaries, both in terms of diplomatic relations at all costs if it gets something you need, and Daniel being singled out as someone super-special who deserves more than all the others that have died in the Stargate program.

In the SGC's eyes, Daniel was an important member of the team, bringing the 'gate to life, translating so many languages, but it was more realistic for Hammond to acknowledge he wasn't going to send a load of people off to capture a Sarcophagus for the sake of one man's life. That's the difficulty in a TV series: your main characters are there for the audience and are meant to be more important than the average soldier or extra, but on the other hand you need to kill off these extras to demonstrate how dangerous things are for the main characters. But it's not often that a series is placed in the position of having the chance to kill a main character and they want to do it well. I think the best deaths are the heroic ones, even though pointless ones are more realistic - I much prefer Spock's death in 'Star Trek II' than Tasha Yar's or Jadzia Dax'. You need to have time to reflect on a character and what they've meant to the audience, and this episode succeeded in that respect.

The most joyfully sad moments are when Daniel brings Jack into his 'existence' at that moment before he chooses to die, and Jack doesn't blink or say anything facetious, he just accepts it with grace making for a strong goodbye. All the characters in the SG-1 team get some kind of goodbye moment, and I liked the style of bringing them into Daniel's 'world' even though they don't know he's seeing them that way, just as the moment he walks round his bed, all his friends watching him dying, is one of the most affecting. Carter tells him how much he meant to her, and Teal'c, a man of few words, finds something to say anyway. In some ways I'm surprised it was Jack who had the strongest reaction and was the advocate for Daniel, determined to clear his name and do everything for him, as they've so often been at loggerheads, but it also makes sense because Jack was the leader of the team. And I think some of Daniel's actions have softened him slightly or given him pause for thought. Daniel was often the voice for reason, and often the one willing to make the sacrifices to achieve the right way.

I think that goes into the stuff about what his life was worth as he ponders the riddles of Desala (though it seemed clear to me that she was telling him to die), and that it comes down to whether he chose good or evil. In that account he deserved to achieve the gift of Ascension, though I didn't agree with the idea of judging oneself, even if he thought himself unworthy. Finally, I appreciated the casting back a little over his life, right down to watching a scene from the first episode on his 'iPad' with its Share desktop, and the moment early in the episode when they paid tribute to the SG-1 team as a whole by having all five line up, including Jonas, which may or may not have been done in the first episode, but even if it wasn't it was a great shot, indicating that the team would include Jonas. I think Daniel Jackson was my favourite character because he brought something other than the military viewpoint, but over the seasons he was probably underused, and I wouldn't be surprised if Shanks wished to spread his acting wings a bit.

***

Dark Page

DVD, TNG S7 (Dark Page)

Two for two on nightmarish 'inside the mind' stories, but that's never a bad thing, it's just a little surprising that they'd produce two thematically similar tales side by side. More than that, it fits into the season-long obsession (if that's not too negative a word), with family. With this story we get to see more of Deanna's family than we ever knew about in some touching and sad scenes, mainly inside the mind of the ageing Lwaxana. So it's another mental journey taking place, to add to so many others, but this time, because it's such a flamboyant and seemingly open character as Mrs. Troi, the dark passage is more disturbing. The opening suggested this was another in the Mrs. Troi sub-genre in which she either comes aboard the Enterprise to harass Picard, to set Deanna up with someone, or her own telepathy causes problems, but these were all part of a smokescreen that became almost literal when Deanna goes into her Mother's mind - the pain buried inside is so strong that it almost kills her rather than share such a terrible secret with her only daughter.

Majel Barrett gives a heartfelt performance that is marginally undermined by the use of the Enterprise sets to once again represent her inner mind (though good to see more of the Arboretum), but it's churlish to complain about that trope as they had to go somewhere and why not the halls of the location in which the characters are interacting outside their minds? The only time I really felt the scene could have done with a location shoot was the actual picnic and day of 'the accident' because the place didn't sell the event, though it was made up for by the anguish Lwaxana expressed. I feel 'DS9' had something to do with helping Mrs. Troi become more than a comedy figure because it was in the first season episode 'The Forsaken', in which she and Odo are trapped in a turbolift, that we really learn there's more to her than the exuberant exterior she throws in everyone's faces all the time. I'm sure it was Majel's desire to round out her character and have more serious acting to do, too, so this, coming a year later, helped her game plan proceed.

The rest of the time I was impressed that they were able to come up with a new look for the oft-tried nightmare vision of the Enterprise corridors. On this occasion we get some wide-angle lens stuff, as seen in 'Phantasms', but the lighting is what sets this version apart. There are shadows all around, and the light is harsh and bright. We see distant shadows fleetingly on the wall or the silhouette seen through a semi-transparent screen. Mrs. Troi has never been scarier (though I'm sure Picard would disagree), angrily shouting or moving strangely through her own mind. But if any younger viewers were terrified by such a friendly person (especially to their age group) becoming a monster, the episode ends pleasantly, if not happily, with the shot of Deanna and her Mother holding hands in the real world as they did in the telepathic link, then sharing the sadness of the past together and accepting the grief.

We're taken as far as you can get from the comedy Lwaxana and there's a deeper feel to the story because of that, not to mention getting to see Mr. Troi at last. He didn't look like the sort of man you could see married to Lwaxana, but then we never saw them together when they were young, and we never got to know him as a real person, just as a memory in Mrs. Troi's mind. The telepathic sequences with Picard, the wolf, or Ian Troi were all skillfully done, and the external story was comforting in that usual 'TNG' way where there's nothing untoward happening, people are just talking. It's not exciting, but it's a style of storytelling that leaves you with a warm glow. Even that aliens only seemed slightly threatening and for very brief moments when Maques stares fixedly to activate his telepathic ability.

And I hadn't even mentioned the aliens yet. Maques, not war. I liked their quirks: the way their heads looked as if their brains were pushing out the sides of the skull; the robotic voices; the hesitant speech - notice how Hedril, the child, finds it much easier to adapt to this new method of communication than her Father. That makes sense as children tend to pick things up quicker than adults. Maques was one of those rare nice alien telepaths who didn't wish to violate anyone or force his telepathy on anyone or scare anyone (even though whenever he does his telepath thing people shout at him - he can't help it if he has to look so intense when he's communicating that way!). His struggles with the language could perhaps have been played up, but the story was a serious one, as were these aliens, the Cairn. There were still fun moments to be had with all this telepathic communication flying about, and I felt for the poor redshirt in the turbolift when the two Trois got in and stood either side. I also loved Deanna's attempt at explaining Heaven to an alien - they cleverly get around it by Mrs. Troi sending an impression telepathically to Maques! And there's a few mentions of Deanna still not being married - maybe the reason Lwaxana didn't show up for the Earth wedding in 'Nemesis' is because she remembered with shame her outburst at Riker…

The most noteworthy casting of the episode is in Kirsten Dunst as Hedril, one of her earliest acting roles before growing up to be a film star and appearing in such films as the Spider-Man trilogy. It's great fun to see her as a young child. I also felt I recognised Norman Large (Maques), and I would do, as he played other, smaller roles in 'DS9' and 'Voyager' (as well as proconsul Neral in 'Unification') - the Large must be for his big, cheesy grin and big, cheesy chin! A throwaway line I thought was interesting was when someone notes that the Cairn expect to speak verbally now they're going to be part of the Federation. Is this some kind of Federation rule where non-verbal alien races have to fit in? That doesn't sound very inclusive, does it? Positively telepathist! Something else I noticed was Mr. Homn's absence, though he is mentioned. He evidently had a conversation with Deanna about her Mother because she says she contacted him. I know he's not a Hupyrian (as in the Grand Nagus' servant, sworn to speak only to him), but we've never seen him speak, and I thought he didn't. Even more confusing, he failed to tell Deanna about the family secret, though he must have known about it because he saved the special photo, despite the fact Lwaxana was dying from it! Was he sworn to secrecy?

I think the strength of the episode is that even if you know the 'punchline' as it were, it's so well directed, the actors bring their usual quality to it, and there's a chance to get into a bit of personal history, that it feels like a consistent experience, and an enjoyable, if sad, one. Plus, Worf appears to be horribly insulted, Riker almost gets punched out by a mad Lwaxana, and Deanna gets some awkward moments with aliens. I'm not being flippant, but there are a lot of moments beyond the heavy mystery, and the episode works well. This was Majel Barrett's last 'TNG' appearance, and consequently the last scene she ever shared with her onscreen daughter. I'm grateful it was a good one for them, and one that was so personal.

***

The Sentinel

DVD, Stargate SG-1 S5 (The Sentinel)

Another episode I thought I knew was going to be about a single warrior from another place who is huge and dangerous and almost unstoppable, but we still haven't got to that one yet. Instead we have a fairly interesting story in which SG-1 attempt to clear up some of the rogue NID group's mess, the ones who were using the Stargate to go off and plunder other races' tech. Apparently they messed up a regressed race's high-tech defence system (the titular Sentinel), and now two of the culprits are recalled for the mission (in exchange for having death sentences commuted). As enjoyable as the episode itself was, there was thing constantly bugging me through the whole thing: where had I seen the actor who played Colonel Grieves before? I just couldn't place his slightly arrogant, loose cannon-ish attitude until we see him pull a gun on the poor Caretaker (whom I was expected to be an old guy with a long white beard, but they must have been eschewing the obvious that time), and some mannerism recalled B.C., the guy Sisko has to keep under control in the 'DS9' two-parter 'Past Tense'. He was very similar, but it wasn't the actor, Frank Military, after all - maybe they were related?

I was interested in the former NID operatives, and I felt the story made good use of them. At first I sunk into my seat at the heavy backstory opening which, while reminding me of previous events, was so sporadic through the series that I almost felt like a burden had been placed on me from the start - a recap should update clearly and simply to be effective. I even wondered if this might be one of those dreaded clips shows the series occasionally throws up to save money, but we were spared that. The story wasn't fantastically engaging, but it was shot and lit very well, whether it was the darkening woods around the Sentinel, or Merul's chamber with the candle burning behind him. It continued this season's high quality photography, but even better, it used all the characters of SG-1.

Daniel was shown to be more useful in this instance than Carter, and despite Grieves early on expressing a lack of belief in Carter's ability, I was still surprised she was left to man the guns with Teal'c as she'd usually be the boffin working out how to operate alien machinery. Teal'c gets to do what he does best; blasting enemies with his staff weapon, and little else (apart from the early misunderstanding of Daniel's sarcasm in the briefing - you'd think he'd recognise irony by now after serving so long with Daniel and Jack!), while the most important role fell to O'Neill as he tries to get through to Merul who simply can't understand his people's way of life could be over, that the Sentinel can no longer protect them, or that his people deserve such harsh treatment from the Goa'uld. O'Neill's biggest contribution comes when he orders Carter not to turn off the field around the Sentinel when the Jaffa are holding a weapon to his head. They didn't get around to threatening young Lieutenant Grogan, who, incidentally, seemed to be having a little nap rather than lying unconscious when they originally find him - he seems quite awake and well when SG-1 surround him!

Jack's example helps Grieves decide to take the action that saves them all, but it's all in the subtext as he looks at O'Neill and sees him prepared to give up his life to ensure the Sentinel protects the Latonans - something that is mirrored in Merul's decision to defy the Jaffa leader. We don't see if he's killed, but we can assume he probably was. This is one of those episodes that ends promptly, leaving us to surmise beyond it. I do wonder if Grogan had been threatened, if O'Neill would have relented, but I doubt it, and the Jaffa never got around to that tactic. I thought they should also have done a bit of Darth Maul-ing from 'Star Wars Episode I' when Maul is faced with a forcefield breaking up his fight and he snarls and paces back and forth while waiting to get through. I wanted a similar scene with Teal'c standing calmly in front of the enemies while they get angry, but instead they fire off a few shots, then stomp off.

Did Grieves know he would be one of the 'enemies' who would 'disappear' when the Sentinel was activated? I feel that he did, but he'd been inspired by O'Neill's selflessness and bravery to do it anyway, repairing the damage he had done and atoning for his wrongs. The other one, Kershaw, was already dead, which would explain why she didn't vanish, but it was a poetic and powerful ending that left on a thoughtful note. I'm not sure the theme came through strongly enough - I'd assume it was about fixing mistakes and redemption, but if the writing wasn't noteworthy it was a pretty solid episode all told. I would have liked to have seen this new System Lord we'd never heard of before, Svarog, but maybe he'll be back. I liked the dead man's switch idea which had been used so effectively before in the episode of the same name, and I was glad the story didn't go down the Organians route from 'Star Trek' of the Latonans proving to actually be very powerful beings who only seem simple. Oh, and it was extremely cool to see the SGC launch missiles through the 'gate, destroying the entrenched Jaffa positions. Not sure we've ever seen that before.

***

Phantasms

DVD, TNG S7 (Phantasms)

We had Data's dream episode, now we get Data's nightmare episode: a logical choice. This is one of those episodes I saw as a child or young teen in the days when I had seen very few of the 'TNG' episodes, and it was one that stuck in my head like mint frosting in the mouth - Deanna Troi as a cake was the image that always stayed with me, and the same for Beverly drinking from a straw stuck in Riker's head! This was a trademark Brannon Braga Special, with as much weirdness as he could get away with, but at the same time, linked together in a meaningful way. If anything, things remain pretty safe and controlled, bar the mouth on Geordi's neck or in the real world, Data attacking Deanna in the turbolift, which were both a step further than anything else in the episode. There was obvious horror in Data seeing parts of his nightmare come to 'life' in the waking world, as it seemed, but even more discomfort for us in seeing Troi stabbed. It's the worst nightmare of anyone that deals with Data: what would it be like if he went mad?

We've seen the android out of control or acting under the influence of outside programming, such as when he took over the ship in 'Brothers', but seeing him commit a brutal act on one of his closest friends? Not something we've come across, and it's all the more disturbing for it. Troi was more than forgiving, under the circumstances, but I wonder what it means ven she creates a cake of ze man who attacked her, hmm? A desire for revenge, perhaps, an unconscious vish to repay her attacker? Whatever, it was fun to see a Data cake, and no doubt it's something that has been replicated (pun alert!) by many a culinary viewer! Apart from the moment of madness, the episode was remarkably real in that the demonstrations of Data's dreams didn't turn into surreal displays, but stayed similar to how we view the ship normally. That was true to the dream program's appearance in 'Birthright', but it also meant the scenes could transition from waking moments to Data's nightmare without being obvious, and the episode at least begins with an expansive wide angle lens that made me consider what a Trek series would look like if they used that style all the time.

The subplots of the new warp drive and Picard's impatience to get back for the Admiral's banquet, an event he's successfully avoided for the duration of the series, were integrated into the Data plot, so it was only La Forge's difficulty in dealing with Ensign Tyler's crush on him that had no relevance whatsoever, except to add a little humour. It's such a rare thing to see Starfleet people behave in that way, she can only be a new recruit, fresh from the Academy, I assume, but on the other hand, you'd think by now Geordi would be willing to have any female attention after the disastrous years he's had! At least she was able to get Picard off his back in an uncharacteristically hovering moment for the Captain. He's usually content to let his people do their jobs, but this time he's caught in a bit of a quandary, not wanting to look ungracious by failing to get to the banquet on time after so many excuses before, yet also not happy to be going. For that matter it seems like a ridiculous idea for Starfleet to organise an annual event for people like Picard when they're off in deep space or other quadrants (at least Janeway never had this problem) - Picard's not even an Admiral! Maybe he made it the following year, since the Enterprise-D crashed and he'd have had plenty of time until the new ship launched…

Regardless of Picard's situation, his alter ego, Patrick Stewart must have had a good time making this episode, which stands out as being his best directorial work so far. Usually I can't help but remember that he's at the helm when he directs episodes, but this time I completely forgot and was sucked into the story. He got to have some fun with lenses in the teaser, and some nice little shots such as a close-in of Picard chatting privately to Riker on the bridge as they sit close, side by side, or the wild and worrying short, sharp scene of Data knifing Troi. It's a good thing he woke up when Riker and Worf came along, but part of me wished he'd thrown them about as we never get to see that happen, even though we know it's possible (the closest we got was that guy in 'The Hunted' giving it to them). Worf was gifted some good moments, however, though not conventional ones: eating cake ("with mint frosting!"), and reluctantly agreeing to care for Data's cat, Spot, which is certainly one of his best moments this season so far!

The creatures at the bottom of it all could have done with a bit more horror to them as they are presented as pretty stationary beings which can only be seen under special light, but the idea on its own carried enough weight to alarm. We could have done with a bit more revulsion instead of the crew taking things so professionally. Maybe Tyler could have been horrified and start going ape so that Geordi had to talk her down and calm the situation. And as strange as it was for Geordi and Picard to experience Data's nightmarish episode firsthand in a clever Holodeck linkup, that could have been more weird, and even the focus of the episode (though getting stuck in a holo-dream is the same as being trapped in a holoprogram I suppose, only this time Data's unconscious (if he has one), would have been driving the program). But these are only minor suggestions for what was a solid episode and one that gave us Troi in cake form and Worf gingerly holding Spot as if it were a disease. Not many episodes can make such high claims.

***

Fair Trade

DVD, Voyager S3 (Fair Trade)

This one goes out to all the wrongheaded people who thought/think Neelix was an irritating rat creature whose only ability lay in his penchant for extreme jealousy and a maddening brightness at most other times. There was always much more to the friendly Talaxian than he let slip in his duties, as evidenced right back in the Season 1 episode 'Jetrel'. It took them a while to come up with something that was a genuine Neelix episode in which he wasn't there to advise or worry about Kes, provide information on the local comet and fauna, or get under Tuvok's feet, but this is one of his best episodes (some might say one of his last as he went on to become one of the forgotten. Not in the vein of Mayweather, but no one reached that level except for the helmsman of the NX-01… Who were we discussing?). A chance for him to act alone and to do what was right.

He really saw himself alone this time, too. Usually he had Kes to talk things over with, and she would have sent him straight to the Captain, but her distance may have been one of the unspoken adverse influences that allowed the silly notion into his head that Janeway and her crew; his friends, would no longer want his services once his input as guide came to an end. Wixiban didn't help at all, knowing just how to manipulate Neelix, ladling on the guilt he must have had at the back of his mind about leaving Wix in prison, convincing him his position was a precarious one on Voyager, when in reality if he'd gone to the Captain, or even Tuvok, Paris, Harry, anyone, he would have realised what a fool he was being. There was an element of pride in being the only crewman aboard that knew anything about the Delta Quadrant, and he could be quite puffed up at times, so this humbling experience may have been just what the doctor ordered. Not literally of course, as the Doc didn't feature much. And wouldn't have been the best person to discuss the delicate situation with, though even he, the most pompous, proud person aboard would have seen the error of trying to sort it out alone.

Neelix was in a funny mood though, and has been for a while. Since his unofficial breakup with Kes, he's been infected by a macrovirus and must have had the fact that the ship was coming to the edge of his known space in mind for a while. I'm glad that they did this with his character because it wouldn't have made sense for Voyager to be travelling on and on and still be getting information about what lay ahead from Neelix - it would make the quadrant seem rather smaller than we were led to believe. So they took the step, a risky one, as they did with Kes and the Doctor this season, and made a substantial change. I love that Neelix would occasionally get called to the bridge and importantly expound on what and who might be out there at a critical moment, but he always had many more talents than his knowledge. It was useful that Janeway had him in mind as an Ambassador, but even before that he'd been invaluable in stretching out Replicator power by serving up Delta delicacies (hair pasta notwithstanding!), and boosting morale.

Some may criticise this episode as being a completely unsubtle fable about telling the truth, but did they say the same about 'The First Duty' in 'TNG'? I doubt it. There's even a direct reference to the established lore of that episode with Neelix being told the first duty of a Starfleet officer is to the truth. But he's not Starfleet… He's as close to being Starfleet as Janeway would let him, after all, she originally said there'd be no room for passengers (failing to mention any stray Borg children they might come across), so both Neelix and Kes had to work for their keep, learning and growing into new, more responsible, mature people. I think this episode may have been a turning point for Neelix because, unlike Kes, he probably always had that nagging feeling he was there on a whim. Kes was able to adapt to new duties, a quick learner (she's technically a child, don't forget), and a defined career path as the Doctor's star student. Neelix on the other hand was the old dog who, though he could learn new tricks, had plenty of his own to fall back on, meaning he didn't need to integrate as much.

Only now do we see the outpouring of his soul in a desperate desire to assist any department in any way, simply to feel useful. He's an odd job man, but he was always going to be one, and it takes all sorts to make a crew, so why not have someone like that on hand? Even if he doesn't have such a clear path as Kes, he has broader skills and experiences to benefit the ship, only he forgot about them. At his heart I think he cared more about Voyager than his own future - he couldn't bear the thought of Janeway going into the unknown without his trusted advice. It sounds like I'm making an appeal for Neelix, and I suppose I am. He went on to become a much gentler, more integrated member of the crew after this, still the man who was always up for everything, but also one who began to understand his limits. He still had his ship in Voyager's hold, and that may have added to his feelings of impermanence, but certainly once Kes was no longer his top priority he needed a new purpose.

I'm talking a lot about Neelix, and not about the episode, but it revolves very much around him as we see him go through various stages in his quest for redemption. He feels he owes his old friend Wix a lot, so he's more willing to forgive and forget when he gets him into trouble. But things get deeper and more dangerous until he really seems to believe it when he says he has nothing to lose in his brave stand against the evil drug dealer, Tosin. I can't decide whether it was that scene that was the best, with Neelix at his most selfless, strongest and determined, like a Hobbit before the might of evil. Or was it Janeway's dressing down at the end in which he's so overwhelmed with joy at Janeway's refusal to allow him to leave that you can see the glee on his face and it probably took all his strength not to burst out "Wow!", like he did in 'The Q and The Grey' and give his Captain a great big hug. He wisely restrained himself, but after he's gone we see the weight of what she had to say to him, and the pity she has for him and you ask yourself how could Neelix ever have believed he was not a part of a most special family that accept him for who he is, regardless of what he can bring. It makes you want to sign up and serve Janeway right away!

This is not the first or last time Janeway ends an episode chewing someone out. I believe Tuvok was the first one, back in 'Prime Factors', but most of the main characters had a stern, disappointed lecture at some point. Janeway was very good at giving them, and in some ways it would be worse to face her disappointment than Sisko in a mad rage or Picard with his disappointed face on. Maybe it's because she's motherly, I don't know, but you don't want to fail her.

This is the halfway point of the season and it feels like a new beginning for the ship. There's the Nekrit Expanse (ooh, expanses are never good, I don't care what series you encounter them in, if it says expanse on the sign, turn around and go back, go back! Actually, it looks like Voyager took that very advice, appearing to fly away from the expanse at the end of the episode. They must have been doing the little known boomerang manoeuvre), and it's something that has to be experienced, but I do wish it had been more integral to the unfolding story in the next few episodes. I don't remember exactly how much it's touched on, but it may have only been one episode, when it could easily have created a whole new and deadly region to explore. Like 'Enterprise', the third season of 'Voyager' could have been all about the expanse, crossing it and the adventures that happen therein, but it wasn't such a big thing after all. So the bigger change was Neelix losing his status as a lighthouse for the course ahead. This was helpful as it would have lessened the impact of the Borg if he'd known all about them, but they were just outside of his exploits.

Another piece that helped set up future episodes was Vorik's inauguration. I felt Alexander Enberg was a very good Vulcan indeed, giving off a much more tolerant attitude to life, and seeing Voyager as a ship of intriguing challenges rather than being easily irritated. We haven't seen that many young Vulcans so he was breaking the mould in that regard, but coming on as a recurring character in a series that had the best portrayal of the race since Spock (maybe even better?), must have been a little daunting. We already knew there were other Vulcans aboard so it's gratifying to finally meet one. Enberg had previously played one on 'TNG', as well as a human reporter on that series. There are a few familiar names on the cast list, most recognisably James Horan who added the series to his Trek roster with this episode, appearing once again under makeup as Tosin, an alien that had a striking similarity to the Nausicaans, and almost the same temperament, too, though he had enough presence of mind not to fire his weapon near the leaking plasma canister - it was his doltish sidekick that did that.

Being a space station, it had many different races intermingling, but perhaps they were also interbreeding as the map seller Neelix initially talks to had Vorta ears! There are other familiarities about some of the aliens, most obviously the drug dealer, who looks very much like a Bothan, the guy from 'Persistence of Vision'. A little line of interest came when Bahrat or someone were talking about the cameras showing false sensor readings of the interiors of the station - it stood out to me because this was one of the earliest, if not the earliest, in which CGI set extensions were added to make it stretch off into the difference. Of course such tricks had been used with physical paintings before, or other visual tricks, as far back as 'TMP', but this had people moving in the background and really extended the size of the place. Some throwbacks to the previous episode were that we get another beautiful green explosion (thanks to Neelix' Bourne-like presage of what's about to happen - he starts the canister leaking before the villains even show up), the resort, which is mentioned, though not seen this time (they were really milking that program!), and in a tenuous connection to 'The Q and The Grey', a character called Bahrat who stands around a bank of consoles that looks a bit like a bar. Missing the connection? Q calls Neelix 'bar rodent'!

This is one of the strongest Neelix episodes, it introduces more details of his colourful past, an old friend who was a Talaxian so different to Neelix, with a thin face and long whiskers, adding more broadness to the race, just as Tuvok did as a black Vulcan. Time is taken for the characters and what they can bring, shown best in the way Neelix goes to Tom Paris to ask about his criminal past (another indirect link to 'The First Duty'). We see him face a quandary and we see him try to take it on on his own. He succeeds at great risk to himself and learns a valuable lesson about depending on others. He thought it was all about Voyager no longer being able to depend upon him, but it was really about him learning to go to his family and be supported by them. Whenever a character loses an advantage they've had over their crewmates they tend to act badly, just as Troi did when she lost her empathic powers, and it's the same kind of situation for Neelix. That was the more complex moral issue, aside from the blatant one of being true to the truth - if something feels wrong it's because the conscience is trying to get through. My only regret is that they cut out the extremely important scene of Neelix finally talking to Kes so that we knew where they were. Otherwise this is an affecting fable that proves Neelix was far more than the naysayers would have him be. He was a hero in the best Starfleet tradition.

****

Menace

DVD, Stargate SG-1 S5 (Menace)

'Hey, let's go into this abandoned tomb, or whatever it is.'
'Hey, look what we found; some kind of robot more advanced than anything we could understand.'
'Hey, I know what would be a really good idea: we could take it home with us, you know, to study it better. 'Cos it would be way too much trouble to bring the equipment here. And after all, it's only showing minimal signs of power…'

Yeah, I know the characters live in their own little world and they had no way of knowing the time they were living in was going to be cut up, boxed and referred to as an episode called 'Menace,' but really! They should have known better. And as for their briefing of the soldiers that work for the SGC, it's appalling! A guy reports finding a load of things, but he doesn't know what they are: 'I'm sure they aren't important.' How sure, soldier? Enough to stake your life on it? Why have they not let every member of staff, right down to the lady that sweeps the canteen (assuming there is one, unless they all do it on a rota basis), who, what and any other question that might be important when it comes to the Replicators? They even have the cheek to cite how experienced they are with robots and how they should be careful and not do anything rash. I despair for the Earth, sometimes.

If you can accept them taking the robot, soon to be known as Reese, home with them (and you have to, if you're going to watch the episode), then there is at least a bit of a story going on with Daniel characteristically bonding with her, reassuring her and trying to get to the bottom of what destroyed her world, versus O'Neill who wants to shoot first and ask questions later. Or in this case, ask questions first and get to know her later. Surprise, surprise, when it comes down to it, she admits it was she who was responsible for her planet's ruin because she told her 'toys' to protect her against people that didn't like her which led to them getting out of control and becoming the menace of the galaxy that even the Asgard may not be able to stop. It's not amazingly original, but it is good to have the origins of the Replicators explained.

If only Reese, the Borg Queen of the Replicators, hadn't been such an irritating little madam. Admittedly she has the mind of a child (a naughty one, unwilling to accept consequences), but I was sort of glad Jack shot her at the end because it means she's less likely to return. Not impossible, being a robot, but less likely. And it did give me a few chuckles at O'Neill's responses to the situation (early on before he went all gung-ho and military), the best being when Daniel talks about her having the mind of a child, then they all look at O'Neill in the background fiddling with a magnifying glass! The occasional wry moment and shooty ending couldn't save a predictable story. She was similar to Cassandra, in some ways, but Cassandra was never that annoying.

The episode did give Hammond a chance to run (or march quickly) around in combats with a big gun, and it further explored the 'scientist versus military' perspectives between Daniel and Jack, with him getting really upset over Reese's death, but it was too late in the episode to examine that and see where it goes, and I expect by next episode it will be forgotten and they'll be talking to each other again. It seems, no matter how pally the team gets there will always be those rifts between them, whether it's diplomacy/security or Teal'c's traditions against strict human rules, and that's a shame because it means they can never be a perfect team. It could be argued that that's what makes the dynamic so strong between the four, only it's more enjoyable when they see eye to eye. Daniel's reaction to the 'death' was a good moment in an otherwise dry episode in which we don't find out anything new, apart from where the Replicators came from and how. Felt like a filler.

**

Macrocosm

DVD, Voyager S3 (Macrocosm)

Every dog has its day. Equally, every Captain has their chance to don a vest and prove their action hero credentials. By the way, I'm not calling Janeway a dog, it's just firmly in my mind at the moment after watching the previous episode and seeing the Female Q call her one. The point is that Starfleet Captain's are heroes and they have to be given the chance to do something heroic and, preferably, show off their manly strength so that we realise they are strong in body, not just in mind. Thanks to women's equality, Janeway had to go through this ritual and so was born 'Macrocosm,' an episode that isn't about the stuff between the ears, unless it's splattering over a conduit in the bowels of the ship or having a knife shoved in at an acute angle. The Captain gets to strip down and tool up with such delights as the moulded black backpack, far more more desirable and stylish than a handbag, the new 'Star Trek: First Contact' phaser rifle (must have been a long time in the offing back home and Voyager just happened to have downloaded the specs before they left), and every Captain's friend, the Rambo hunting knife. At least it was a little more subtle than 'Crocodile' Dundee's machete.

I used to consider this one of my all-time favorites from the series, but now I consider it 'merely' a strong episode. Not to say it doesn't measure up, because it does exactly what it says on the coffee tin: Janeway versus invading floaty parasites. It's action with an edge of horror (would we expect less from Brannon Braga?), without deeper moralistic concerns. There's no quandary about killing the bugs, they're just a virus. Thinking it about it now I suppose it does seem a little unthinking for the macrovirus to be exterminated, but it wasn't a sentient lifeform so there's no need. But was it sentient, they never had time to check? No, I'm pretty sure it was just acting on instinct. Also it was down to Janeway and the Doc to save the crew so it was a 'them or us' situation and the macrovirus wasn't cuddly enough for us to care.

Thrown into the mix is one of the more bizarre humanoid alien species ever encountered: the Tak Tak. Talking to them is like doing the Hokey-Cokey, and was a fun indictment of Janeway's usual body language. Surprisingly Neelix comes to the fore to rescue her from herself and shows a talent for diplomacy he hasn't always displayed, leading to a half-joking proposal from the Captain that he might become Voyager's official Ambassador (to add to his roles of Morale Officer, Chef, Guide and TV presenter), right on cue just before he was about to lose one of those contributory positions. Not to mention losing his best-known role as Kes' 'beau' and proving that he, at least, wasn't in the writer's minds to be diminished, as Kes seemed to be. The situation between the two was still not touched on, though in similar vein the Wildmans were recalled again and Neelix' close friendship with the Ensign and her baby daughter, which would go on to shape his character in seasons to come came back at the right time. As for the Tak Tak consul, he was played by Albie Selznick in a role not far from the similarly physical Juggler of 'Coming of Age' in 'TNG'. Only the Tamarians have been as divergent from traditional communication as the Tak Tak, and despite the somewhat bizarre gestures, there was a reality to the performance that this really was how a race behaved. Unless this particular one was an eccentric and thought it a good joke to pretend that's how his race communicated - but no, they met others and that was where Janeway's faux pas came in.

The creatures are built up well, a creeping menace (phantom menace?), of which all we see are the manhole-sized gap punched through the Transporter pad, slimy goop left behind, the indistinct shadow on the wall, buzzing drone sound and Neelix being carried off. This makes their first appearance all the cleverer when we assume there's some big, bad flying thing hovering over to Janeway on the bridge, until she slaps her arm and it turns out to be a tiny version. It's fortunate they didn't go with one possible storyline I was thinking about - that it could be the crew turning into these things, metamorphosing into the enemy. If that had been the case it would have been bye-bye Ensign Fly when she squashed the bug. The fully CGI creatures were a coup at the time, a small revolution that would spawn Species 8472 as the series became more confident in computer-led alien design. Not that things went much further than 8472 if you think about it - there weren't legions of non-humanoid races crawling out of the ductwork in subsequent seasons, probably because human actors were still easier to cover in prosthetics. Unfortunately this also led to more CG environments and ships so the quality matte paintings and models were stripped gradually away.

As a design, the macrovirus looked pretty good, and although the interactions with them seem pretty basic now, you can use your imagination to see them as squidgy things that wriggled around in the Doctor or Janeway's grasp and so weren't moving exactly in tandem with them. They pulled off the tentacle (and so did Janeway: with a knife), and it made a change to see a Starfleet officer use conventional weaponry to defeat an adversary. They should have issued those as standard anti-Borg devices, guaranteed to down the cybernetic shamblers. As for the phaser rifle, I thought the new 'Voyager' ones looked good, and they hadn't been used for long, and now we're moving to the sleeker, slimmer, more power-hungry version! I was surprised to see it fire a beam rather than a burst, but there must be multiple functions, even more than a hand phaser. It was the lighted nozzle that really added something, especially suited to a horror atmosphere in the way it lit the face from below. The production values of 'Voyager' were up to the task of taking on props made for the film series, otherwise it would have looked out of place - already this season they'd been using the iPod Nano Tricorder variation!

The episode takes off once Janeway's on her own. Neelix serves the story well to provide unease when Janeway remains determined and confident, but it takes all her Starfleet training to succeed, though how could it have been any other way - she's like the Mother of the ship and crew, and she wasn't going to let them down until she'd died trying. The music added to the mood, as it always should do, but also recreated the buzz of the virus in violins, adding tension and uncertainty about whether we were hearing the bugs or about to. The lighting noticeably gets darker as Janeway goes further in. At first the corridors are practically normal, then in the Jefferies tubes which are lit much more sparingly, and once Janeway's alone she's practically in shadow, illuminated mainly by her rifle. It's all in the same vein as 'Empok Nor,' though the enemy being less personal and non-sentient means there isn't the same ugly intelligence to chill us. But Braga pulls off another of his famous homages to the horror genre - they seemed to like showing close-ups of the macrovirus emerging from people's necks (and made me think of the 'Conspiracy' aliens). There's even a moment recreated from 'First Contact' when the creatures batter against sickbay's door!

Which brings us to the other main contributor of the episode: the Doctor. He proves himself a valuable asset for Janeway, one of the earliest team-ups between them, and it's easy to see how she came to rely so much on him in future seasons. Like his Away Mission to the Holodeck in Season 1, he can go places and deal with things that other crewmembers can't. In this case it's his first official planetary Away Mission, and he's just as thrilled by it as he was on Earth. Having the Doctor recount what happened in flashback made a nice change to the usual Trek style and gave developments an even more ominous tone as we return to the ship before the outbreak of the virus - a visual comparison to show bad things have become. The Doc's personality really shifted from what it had been in the early episodes, going from a business-like, irritable, almost grumpy and callous bedside manner, to someone that's opened up to new experiences, become fascinated by the extraneous details, and is richer and much pleasanter for it. It's thanks to the mobile emitter, which has turned him into a new man, though I suppose his recent memory loss and reacquisition of his life's experienced may have played a role.

Importantly, for the first time we get a sense of the danger inherent in downloading one's person into a mobile gadget. The first time he wore it he thoughtlessly walked into gunfire, never considering the damage it could do to the emitter, but here Chakotay reminds him to be careful because his program could be lost if anything happens to it, an essential jeopardy that needed explanation (though leaning on it under the table in the Mess Hall may not have helped). It also indicates his program is completely disconnected from the main computer, as does his query about how to get from A to B on the ship: if he was connected directly to the computer he could have the schematics in his head whenever he wanted them - which brings up the question of why he didn't download all those details into the emitter beforehand. T'would be useful! Shame Voyager doesn't have those little flashing lights to help people get around like the Enterprise did (though Voyager is considerably smaller). But how does he have access to the database of medical personnel that makes him so advanced, if he's not online with the computer? I agree with his question about who designed the ship, though, as it would have been fascinating to have some details on its design and construction.

The story comes together well, as does the action, with good use of the resort program that has featured in every episode since it was created, so far. It also provided a suitable climax to the story and one that used the facts that had been gathered. The smaller items that came up added to the whole: Neelix' one lung comes up in conversation (another example of the great bond between him and Kes - she donated it to him); B'Elanna and Tom arguing was further setup for the way their characters were going; Neelix has continued his friendly shipwide broadcasts; and Janeway, after taking part in such hefty actions, relaxes with a much more civilised activity - painting, although she admitted it was her sister who was the artist in 'Sacred Ground'. Maybe the experience encouraged her to experiment? Even the minor aliens, the miner aliens, looked good in that Tosk-like scaly, reptilian design. The view of the miner's shadow as he staggers towards the Doctor was vaguely horrific, adding to the ambience of the episode - a successful entry in the genre, a departure for the series and for Janeway, from her usual scientific, analytical approach, and an exciting ride. I didn't even mind that Environmental Controls looked like the Enterprise-E's sickbay or that the bomb had a digital countdown in the 20th Century style - retro cool?

****

The Q and The Grey

DVD, Voyager S3 (The Q and The Grey)

It was a constant surprise that they could ever come up with a new Q episode, even as sporadic as they were. Such an event must have been difficult to concoct, after all, you can't just have Q return and cause a little more mischief. With 'TNG' it was slightly easier, being part of the fabric of the series, Q coming to check up on his human 'experiment' as it were (even if it had never been a grand plan and simply fell into place as a touchstone through the series). But after that, and Q's judgement of humanity, where can you go? The 'Voyager' writers expanded Q's role into learning more about his people and issues associated with them, and while the overarching events may have been too much for puny human minds to truly comprehend, the ideas were simple enough as causing change to the old guard. Q has taken Quinn's place as the voice of dissent. Though he may not have agreed with suicide, Q certainly believes in individuality, something he perhaps admires in humans, and one reason why he may be drawn to them.

Whatever Q does, I realised more in this episode than ever before that he's a vehicle for commenting on whatever series he appears in, just as aliens were used to comment on our lives in a common Trek trait. He didn't work in 'DS9' because it was too grounded, serious and complete, but he can hold up a mirror effectively with 'TNG' and 'DS9' because they are more 'pompous' series' in the way they're about boldly exploring, spreading their ideals. He can also point out the foibles and idiosyncrasies of the characters and their series, like nothing else can: to laugh at a serious universe. He calls Neelix 'bar rodent' and accuses him of bribing the Captain. He calls Chakotay, Chuckles because he's so serious most of the time (and calls up his 'jealousy,' another thing hinted at between him and Janeway, though Chakotay is protective, not jealous).  Whatever he does, we can never be sure we're getting to know the 'real' Q - he's of a race so advanced as to be able to do almost anything in our eyes, yet he plays the fool sometimes, insults, irritates, but always with a gleam and a smirk. He seems to love being around the 'little people.'

Despite claiming to be omnipotent, and maybe even omniscient and omnipresent, the Q are not. If they were any of those things they wouldn't need to think, ask questions and any fighting would be over immediately. No, the Q are far advanced, but not ultimate beings, they simply have an exceptional ability to brag and show off. That's what makes them fun, but because Q forces issues and puts them in places that challenge them, it makes the experience deeper than mere comic mischief-making could. It's difficult to even express what the Q are or what they mean, but fortunately the episode succeeded in bringing understanding to such a conundrum. The way Janeway gazes out of the window at the fires of war shows that oodles of special effects aren't needed to get the message and impact across. Just like in 'Star Trek: The Motion Picture' when Kirk is gazing at the Enterprise as he shuttles towards it, with the reflection on the window.

The story became more involving once Janeway gets past the annoyed stage (Q's visit couldn't have come at a worse time: when she was worn out), and enters into the spirit of what's happening. It could all have been an elaborate hoax by Q to get her to fall for him by nursing him and talking to him, and that may have crossed her mind. Alternatively this could have been the way to kill off Q, had the writers wished to. But can you really kill a Q? If they were using Q weapons presumably a Q could die. But would they stay dead? There are so many things that we'll probably never know, and in scarcity of detail there lies mystery, but there are plenty of things we do learn. The Q consider themselves to have always existed (more likely they just forgot, it was so long ago), Q feels 'lonely,' and has been associated with the Female Q for billions of years, though we've never heard tell of her before. Suzie Plakson made a great Q, it's just a shame her run of appearances in Trek, as various characters, never stretched to 'DS9' so she could have completed the Berman-era set.

I didn't buy Q's insistence that he required human DNA to make a baby that would bring peace to the Continuum. He's always been so dismissive of humans so why would he want to 'infect' his race with their essence? I also didn't get how the baby would bring peace - because it was a new event for the Q, or because he would grow up to lead the Q? But the Q don't need leaders, do they? Is there a structure? I always imagined they were like the Founder's Great Link, existing equally and able to make decisions as a mass, yet being separate at the same time. Since any Q stuff is over the humans' heads, and by proxy, ours, anything Q-related can be swept under the carpet. Such as the way the crew could use Q weapons - presumably because it was in a setting they could understand and everything was simplified.

Enough of the pieces worked that the episode could be accepted, and it gave Janeway the chance to eulogise the progress of future humanity in a way that would make Roddenberry smile in his grave. She also talks of how important passing on good things from parents to children is, and comes to an understanding with Q that no other person has really done. It's such a pleasant ending with Q dandling his baby on his knee, appointing Janeway Godmother, and saying "bye, bye," and while the follow-up, belated as it was, may not have lived up to the legacy of this and 'Death Wish,' I'm glad that things were done differently here and it wasn't 'just another Q episode'. I loved the moment with the puppy, but it could have had even more impact had it been Janeway's actual dogs and their puppies. It may have been just the one dog to keep things simple. Q's eyes are even more puppy dog when he's holding one, and John De Lancie had especially huge, bright ones that stood out more than ever before.

A throwaway line that Q utters added more mystery to an established race: he mentions the Romulan Empress, which is the first and only reference to a female leader of their race, as far as I know. Not everything had a reference though, as Kes and Neelix' situation wasn't covered at all and they're shown separately on the bridge, so it's still unclear how Kes has embarked on her 'new path' as mentioned at the end of the previous episode. We do get to see what appears to be the true Q (forgive the pun), when he pleads for Janeway's life, just as he selflessly saved the Enterprise in 'Deja Q', though we can never be sure that he didn't know things would turn out alright. The spectre of Q being able to take Voyager home at any time could have caused problems, but though it is brought up, Janeway makes it clear she's not going to dally around hoping for Q's assistance, but will remain obdurate in her determination to make it home on the strength of herself and her crew.

***

Gambit, Part II

DVD, TNG S7 (Gambit, Part II)

The ending just about saved it. Most of the episode I found to be unimpressive, and in the vein of most Trek second-parts, but the radical turnaround of the weapon into something so easily defeated, added to the calm, soothing way Picard talks Tallera down, and then a humorous final scene with Data taking Riker to the brig, left me feeling on a high. The trouble is, some major things happened, only they didn't have the visuals to match the story - we hear about this visit to Vulcan, but all we see of it is a dusty cavern that could be anywhere. If you're going to do one of the most famous planets of the Federation, you ought to do it properly and show what you can, but the ever-present challenge of the budget must have nixed anything grander. I feel that maybe it should have been any old world instead of Vulcan, that way it wouldn't have been so disappointing. At least some Vulcan history was worked in and referenced the Time of Awakening again, and hearing about a Vulcan secret service (like the Cardassian Obsidian Order, or the Romulan Tal Shiar, or even Federation Section 31), broadened their society, as much as the isolationists, which was something I'm surprised was never used again in other stories.

Grandness was achieved in guest casting, if not in sets, with the galaxy's tallest Klingon making even Worf look short! Crusher excusing herself past the huge figure reminded me of a similar scene when Nog wants to 'slip' by Worf and Martok on 'DS9.' I believe they cast a basketball player, which accounted for the height, but he was also able to act - though he didn't have to try too hard since Koral was not your typical bragging, extrovert Klingon, just a surly type. The addition of a Klingon shuttle to the roster of vehicles seen in their collection was worth seeing, but I didn't get a sense of all the pieces in the story gelling. The Enterprise crew don't look that shocked or surprised to see Picard, though I thought they still thought he was dead at this point.

There were sporadic moments that worked well, such as Riker getting a good punch in on 'Galen,' payback for last episode. And there was a wonderful scene where Data berates Worf for his behaviour as First Officer, ending with a confirmation of their friendship. It has always been interesting seeing Data in command (though aesthetically I wish both he and Worf had changed into red, the lack of which was another sign of tight budgeting I suggest), so the episode fulfils that wish. But as a whole it reaches only the level of enjoyable pastime, not must-see classic. And I thought Tallera revealed her name to be T'Pol, but it was actually T'Paal!

***

Warlord

DVD, Voyager S3 (Warlord)

You shouldn't judge a Kes by her cover, though judging from how well black suited her, maybe she should remove her usual pastel shaded wardrobe and switch to military uniforms on a permanent basis. If it were the Holodeck she could just order a change immediately, just like the barman in Neelix' new holoprogram… I always thought the 'beach villa' setting was a recreation of Risa, but here I learnt it was actually a Talaxian location called Paxau Resort, and the inhabitants are from other programs, added by Harry and Tom. One thing we did get for the first time was a view of a Talaxian female, as I don't think we'd ever seen one before, and if we did, we certainly never saw how far the spots go (just like the age-old Trill question), petering out above the elbow. Another first for the series was the appearance of Neelix' Hobbity-troll feet, which I'm pretty sure we didn't see in 'Caretaker' when he got out of the tub! Like Dr. Phlox on 'Enterprise,' Neelix has quite an alien anatomy to what we're used to, though we never saw as much of him as we did Phlox (which was for the best). On the same note, we see more of Torres than we usually would when she dons a bathing suit, but interestingly she has none of the exoskeletal features Mr. Worf, Kurn or other Klingons have displayed. This could mean female Klingons don't have such a pronounced bone structure, or Torres' human genes could be responsible.

None of this has anything to do with the story, just as the teaser is completely unrelated, but it does fit with the episode because of that disparity - the whole episode is topsy-turvy, unexpected and a little bit crazy! The concept of body-swapping is, of course, nothing new, and even the method used of transferring consciousness via the fingertips had been done on 'DS9' ('The Passenger'). This time we don't see the moment of transferral, which adds a bit more mystery, and for anyone that doesn't know the story, surprise at Kes' treatment of poor Neelix. Maybe it was the grass on her plate that underwhelmed her, but it's shocking to see her flare up at her beloved like that. That was nothing compared to the way she flares up in the Transporter Room, killing two people and forcing Janeway to slam her up against a wall. It's a great way to break the facade and reveal Kes as not being Kes, although technically no one knows that is what had happened at this point.

When Tieran is laid out in sickbay, his wife hovering by her own biobed, I wondered what would have happened if she'd come over and… oh, she just did. I wondered what would have happened if she had been the recipient of her husband's consciousness. Would she have ceased to exist, being a willing host, or would she have been willing? Is it his new form that puts her off him later, or a sign that her loyalty only ran as deep as her comfort allowed? The whole body-hopping thing made me think of the Trill, and what happened to the person whose body it had been. Janeway's told early on that Kes is lost, but whether this was just Demmas spinning the truth a little to get her to accept that Kes' body may as well be killed, or a myth he believed, is uncertain. The two times we see Tieran transfer into and then out of a new host, they both survive: Kes through her mental fortitude, and Ameron, though only a host for a few seconds, and probably not a willing one. So the question remains what happens to the conscious mind of a willing host? Do they simply recede as Tieran takes over, like a Trill inheriting the memories of previous hosts, or do they survive until their body is killed, experiencing what he experienced?

The semantics of the episode weren't the only thought-provoking aspects, the action is well-handled and the story rattles along well, helped by a standout performance from Jennifer Lien. On original transmission of the series I never warmed to her character and she remained one of my least favourites, but re-watching on DVD, I saw what a great actress she was, so much so that I felt it was a tragic loss to the programme when she left - I'm not suggesting they shouldn't have brought on Seven of Nine, an equally good, if not better character, but Kes didn't need to be cut loose. I wonder if the writers or producers had her exit in mind as early as this episode which might account for the unfortunate changes made to her? I wouldn't have thought so, it could be that they made the wrong decision to alter her character permanently as regards Neelix. Maybe they thought they were enhancing her, allowing her to break free from the only partnership she'd ever known, and that it was supposed to be like the freedom given to the Doctor in the previous episode? If so, it didn't work.

Not that it's made clear Kes and Neelix are no longer a couple, and one of the problems lies in the fact that they never truly addressed the situation. The episode does end slightly on a downer without the kind of scene you'd hope and expect to see: Neelix cheering Kes up. There's no scene between the two of them, and that leaves a feeling of uncertainty in the air. All we do get is Neelix standing next to Kes, and her not meeting his questioning eyes. I liked that they had the scene with Tuvok, her mentor, and actually the bond between them was only strengthened by what they went through. It was also important for her growth that they addressed her mental abilities again, which had fallen by the wayside since Season 2, with only the occasional mention that Tuvok was still working with her. In this episode her powers are, if not fully awakened, given a boost she hadn't experienced since meeting the space Ocampa and their female caretaker in 'Cold Fire'. Like the Doc last episode she's a superhero, or a Jedi-type, choking people, chucking them into walls, and sensing the presence of people she knows!

Credit should go to Lien for her storming of the role, allowed to strike out of her usual soft demeanour and chew the place up. Probably most, if not all, of the main Trek characters got to play an alternate version of themselves, and some did better than others. Marina Sirtis, for example was never quite chilling enough, though she did a great job, too. Here, Lien shows what an actor she is, charging around, shouting and being bigger than her small stature should allow. She's had her moments before, such as the off the wall behaviour in 'Elogium,' but never for an entire episode. When you see the title, Kes is the last person you would associate with it! She does a fantastic job of showing the cracks in Tieran's control, the way she mirrors the earlier scene when checking under guard's veils for Tuvok by screaming around uncontrollably ripping their veils off, convinced Tuvok's in the room again, though she knows he's held captive. And in the way little facets of Kes shine through - she's throwing stuff around in the palace hall until she comes to a flowering plant, which makes her pause and pluck the flower. Even more so when she states that each of her people must have a garden because she loves gardens so much.

David Livingston should get a lot of the credit for his direction. Two of the most amazing scenes of the episode, and my favourites, are so strong: when Kes comes to interrogate Tuvok and the Vulcan character once again comes out looking so cool (in a way that 21st Century Trek rarely achieved), referencing how it will be no use torturing him, but then Tieran/Kes demonstrate the mental powers, which could be stronger than Tuvok, until he grabs Kes and does a kind of mind meld and the real Kes breaks through, the camera zoomed right in, and her face looking up in a pool of light, fighting all the time. The other great sequence is when we see Tieran losing the ability to stay awake, and we slide into his mind and see the battle between the 'little girl' Kes and this great, hairy warrior. The device of showing Kes' quarters on Voyager when her point of view is coming across, and the palace chamber when it's Tieran's, was a masterstroke, and leads to a visual signpost that Kes is gaining the upper hand when the whole setting becomes Voyager. Kes then shows her awesome ferocity as she presses home the advantage, eventually forcing Tieran back against a wall, just as Janeway had done earlier.

The story is greatly improved by having a villain that isn't a one-dimensional bad guy. We learn of his pain and suffering and the hard life he's endured, but equally Kes points out that it doesn't justify what he's become. He doesn't want to be seen as a monster, he wants to be accepted as the leader of his people, failing to realise he's had his time, refusing to give up power he shouldn't have, just as Kes refuses to give up fighting - her tenacious spirit is what ultimately defeats him. I felt Leigh J. McCloskey was playing the role of Tieran much more in the typical baddie mode than Lien, trying to influence her, yet getting annoyed at her ability to remain focused. But that was right for the situation he's playing in because it's the true, inner self of Tieran, without any of the facade he displays outwardly, and he's talking to someone he's sharing a mind with, so there's nowhere to hide the inner turmoil - it only enhances Kes' incredible determination not to give up. The actor would go on to play a similar role (standing over a small woman trying to get her to give in to her weaknesses) on 'DS9' in 'Field of Fire'. His wife in this, Nori (Galyn Gorg), had previously been Jake Sisko's future wife in 'The Visitor'.

The issues brought up by a person inhabiting a new body were a little discomfiting, something that was dealt with more directly on 'DS9,' though fortunately wasn't gone into as much detail here, and this was as risque as the series ever got in that regard. It's a realistic issue, I suppose, that if people could body-hop there would be confusion between genders and established marriages, though I never felt it was appropriate for a family programme to be delving into such subject matter. It certainly made the character much more disquieting and off-balance, because you never knew quite what he/she was going to do next, though not being a woman, Tieran wasn't as adept at spinning such webs as the Intendant of the Mirror Universe.

Production-wise I was impressed with the look of both the sets and aliens. Although the design was another cloth-around-the-head style, as seen with the Enarans a few episodes ago (and the aliens from 'Ex Post Facto'), the addition of the four extra nostrils made them different enough, especially when it became a design feature, having the nostrils bleed on queue (though I pitied the poor guy that had to have blood running into his eyes!). I also liked the uniforms they used, which don't always work with aliens of the week, but this time suited the action perfectly. I felt Demmas' outfit looked similar to the new Starfleet uniforms that were just coming in at that time on 'First Contact' and 'DS9' (and which I always wished had come to 'Voyager'), with black all over except for the shoulders which had vertical piping. The guards looked suspiciously like the Albino's soldiers in 'Blood Oath,' only painted black, but even then the veils added an extra something to the design. The palace chamber looked really good as did the details inside it, and although the external matte painting wasn't particularly special, it added to the mood.

The production values and detail, both in terms of physical props and referencing established cultural details, helped up the scale of the episode into a bigger story, even though there weren't location shoots, etc, like the previous episode. It shows what a certain style of direction can bring. There's even an exciting end with Janeway leading the assault (Chakotay wouldn't dare cite Starfleet principles of the Captain staying safely behind), phaser beams slicing through the air, and Neelix once again showing how devoted he was to Kes, which makes it even more disheartening when there's no reciprocation from her - I even saw him leap over a table to get to her. The hardest thing for him must have been when he was forced to shoot her, however, so she collapses like a wounded spider. But what happened to Tieran's consciousness once it was extracted into the device? In 'The Passenger' a similar gadget is vaporised, but we don't find out what happens this time.

If Kes hadn't been involved I suspect this might have been another case of internal affairs, Janeway likely not interfering, though that might have been a good story in itself - if Tieran had hopped into his wife, then claimed asylum on Voyager it would have set up other conundrums. I wonder what he planned to do when Kes' expected nine year lifespan was over. He enjoyed having mind powers and probably would have looked for another host with special abilities as he'd have become reliant on them by then - the horror of opening his eyes to the possibility of harnessing superpowers wasn't something that came up, but Kes was already guilty enough. Okay, it was good that a character was forced to reevaluate her life because of an experience she went through, but it wasn't necessary to abandon Neelix and that whole storyline - life-changing events had happened to characters before without them becoming estranged from their closest friends, but it seemed like a case of the writers wanting to try something new. It's just a shame that in this case it didn't work out, and the character had an even shorter life expectancy than she should've had. Little of which is this episode's fault, but it was the beginning, not just of Kes' alteration, but the stripping away of what made Neelix, Neelix. For once the ending leaves us wondering about Kes' questioning uncertainty, but not wholly in a positive way.

***

Future's End, Part II

DVD, Voyager S3 (Future's End, Part II)

Second part fever strikes again! In keeping with tradition this is the weaker part of the story, but not due to treading water or trying to drag the story out as is usually the case. This time it was condensed too much and felt smaller where the first part felt epic. I wish they'd gone with the original idea of a three- or four-part story, but that was too radical for this series (though 'DS9' had already done the unprecedented three-parter a few years previous). Too often the action takes place in enclosed spaces without the scope of part one, even if some of the locations are the same - they visit the Observatory again, but we never see outside; Starling's office is back, but whether it was the camera angles or not, it felt smaller in some way; and the biggest cut to the episode came with the paranoid Americans who capture Chakotay and B'Elanna: their story isn't the only thing to be cut back. We never even see outside the dingy basement where they hold their prisoners. That may have been a directorial choice (as all may have been), and admittedly, there was tension added to the sequence when we can't see the Feds outside or Tuvok and the Doctor dealing with them, plus it turns into a great moment for the Doc when he nonchalantly enters and saves the day, but to keep up with part one they really should have showed the cars and helicopter sweeping in and surrounding the remote shack.

Lack of vision wasn't always the case, as we do get a scene set in a busy area of town, with the meet at the fountains, the capture and subsequent escape of Rain, and the Doc at his heroic best: I loved the moment he gets repeatedly punched in the face and shows no discomfort (a bit like the Admiral in 'Conspiracy' from 'TNG'), then leaps out of the limo and hares it away like we've never seen him run before (I bet Robert Picardo couldn't do that now!). It's one of many great moments for his character who shines in his first true Away Mission from the ship and becomes the main attraction of the episode. He visibly enjoys every new sensation and being part of the team he usually only hears about or contributes to from a monitor. Maybe not every new sensation - this time he feels pain for the first time thanks to Starling and understands how horrible it is. Maybe that will give him more empathy for his patients in future? When he was falling to the floor as if on fire it reminded me of a similar experience the Talosian's made Pike go through on 'TOS' (no sign of the Talosian action figure in this episode, sadly). Even though he begins kidnapped, he's still thrilling to his new horizons. Perhaps he's feeling this will be only a short experience when the mobile emitter is eventually taken away, but he'll make the most of it while he's got it. Keeping the emitter raises another series of questions, but I'll get back to that.

An example of the episode cutting free and opening up a bit is the chase of the decoy truck by Rain and Paris, who are a bit more relaxed with each other now that Tuvok's not with them. A desert road and a fairly exciting explosion are the hallmarks of the scene, although I could point out how unlikely it was that Dunbar could have his tyre shot out, drive over the hill, turn the vehicle around and come chugging down to almost crash into the camper van before they have a chance to get out. I wondered if he was actually driving when it rolls towards them as I couldn't see anyone in front, so it's possible he set it off then jumped out (although I don't know how he expected to get back to civilisation if he had, so it's not likely). If he was driving the truck that begs the question of whether he was important to the future at all? He gets blown up, so let's hope not, except that it all kind of gets (non-) explained away at the end…

I like that 24th Century people are shown to be different. Rain questions Paris on why he's doing all this, helping others at his own expense and Paris asks 'why not?' It's a good moment that Roddenberry would have appreciated because it illustrates that things are better in the future thanks to Starfleet people. The same selfless choices came up in part one when Janeway admits to Starling she's happy to destroy the building with her inside if it will stop him. It's also shown in Chakotay's grace at the Americans who treat him badly - he remains good-humoured and amiable, not taking personally what they say. I also found the conversation he has with B'Elanna before they crash, interesting, as he sounds like he never expected to get home - he never thought he'd see the part of Earth they're flying over, again. But he's always been someone that finds it easier to accept things than others so perhaps he's simply accepted his life was going to be lived out in the Delta Quadrant.

Another aspect of the episode that stops it from soaring as much as part one are the visual effects. We get some good stuff with Starling crashing the Timeship out of the Chronowerx building, or the shuttle crashing to Earth, but they aren't fulfilling enough. Even the explosion of the truck going up isn't quite 'there' - because of that you can tell that they didn't really go to the trouble of blasting a real truck up and that loses some of the episode's epic scope. If you've seen 'Star Trek Nemesis' you'll have seen a much more exciting example of a small craft smashing out of a location, and in 'Star Trek: Insurrection' we have a far superior shuttle crash (as well as the chase sequence). I know that they were in films on a much bigger budget and created at a later time, with improvements to technology and it's unfair to make the comparison, but it means these effects stand out even more as being cut back, and that isn't always the case - sometimes things do hold up.

I'm going to have to place a lot of the blame on the director (whom was different to part one), as I imagine the budget would have been about the same for each part, but this one fails to live up to expectations. It's not his fault alone however, as the story was so condensed and things aren't as well knitted together. The cliffhanger ending of part one, with Voyager shown on the news, is brushed away as something no one believed. But even then, we're told the US military was going to investigate and nothing comes of it. Had the story been spread over three or four episodes it could have dealt with that side of it and had a good episode with the paranoid American survivalists, perhaps while Starling was held captive for the space of one episode instead of a few minutes? Maybe Starling could have been exposed to 24th Century ideals and pretends to accept them and change his plans, agreeing to help Janeway get her people back, but then double-crossing them in a cliffhanger ending. Then the last episode could have been a desperate attempt to find him in the 29th Century (a bit like 'Trials and Tribble-ations' in reverse, temporally speaking) - it needn't have been a mistake he makes immediately upon arrival in that time period that destroys the Solar System.

All these ideas that would have expanded the story, and I, for one, would have loved to see the 29th Century, but it would also have meant more with tramp Braxton - I was disappointed he wasn't used at all in part two. The ending failed to tie up the story in a way that explained or capped the story in a great way. Instead, it's all rather convenient that another version of Braxton arrives to take Voyager home. There should have been more anguish over the decision that he won't take them back to Earth, but must lead them back to their previous position in the Delta Quadrant. If a deal had been struck with tramp Braxton to take them to Earth in the 24th Century and is killed helping them, it would have had more resonance?

It also raises the question of why the Temporal Integrity Commission hasn't shown up on so many other occasions when Starfleet crews have gone backwards or forwards in time. Maybe it suggests these events were supposed to happen or that this was a more complex paradox that needed straightening out (although Braxton just pops up and says he didn't experience the timeline they averted and basically just noticed they were in the wrong time). At least it shows that Voyager's time in the Delta Quadrant is important to history after all, as the previous episode could have suggested that Voyager didn't need to be around and that was why Braxton first appeared at that time. I wish there could have been a bit more quizzing of tramp Braxton about things like 'do we make it home?', or 'do we make contact with home?' Yes, Braxton could have been evasive, but it was another element that should have been addressed.

Janeway still has prejudices to holographic lifeforms - when the Doctor is all excited about his new 'footloose and fancy-free' status he wonders if he might get some quarters and Janeway rolls her eyes. If a new flesh and blood crewmember had joined she wouldn't think twice about it. Holoist! Realistically, space on the ship is at a premium, but her reaction was a little prejudicial. Then again it wasn't supposed to be that 'deep,' they were going for a laugh-out, the way 'TOS' episodes generally finished. Something that is a little more controversial (if you care about timelines, etc), are the ethics of the Doc keeping his mobile emitter. This is 29th Century technology! You can't use it, surely? Maybe Janeway doesn't care about the Temporal Prime Directive, and it may have been too small a thing for the Temporal agents to notice, but then again, the difference it made to the timeline must be pretty big, considering how often the Doc used it and what he could achieve that he wouldn't have been able to otherwise. Maybe it was another case of 'it was supposed to happen'?

For all we know it was something Starling created himself out of 29th Century tech, rather than being literally on board the Timeship when it crashed. Looking at the emitter from an out of universe position, it was the perfect way of advancing the Doctor. A bit like Data's emotion chip, only they were too scared to really go for that until the films, this was an uncharacteristically brave move for the series, altering a much-loved character irrevocably, but I'm so glad they did and it shows that if they made big choices they could pay off - if he wasn't already one of a kind, he's now the only hologram in existence with the means to exist outside of locations equipped with holo-projectors. He'd learn to be a lot more concerned for the safety of his emitter in later episodes: in this one he walks right into the shack, gets fired at (the bullets going through him since he can make himself 'empty' of matter if he chooses, though he must have only done that to part of himself otherwise he'd have dropped the phaser), and he doesn't even think about the potential damage to the emitter. At this point, it can be argued, he didn't know it was going to be a longterm thing so he had no need to be worried about losing it.

It was fun to see the Doctor visit the bridge for the first time, although I believe he'd already been there in a recreation thanks to Season 2's 'Projections.' I like that the realities of his situation come to the forefront right away such as when he doesn't know the way to get to Janeway who's down in the torpedo tube doing her best Kirk impression from 'Generations' (though I'm sure there would be somebody better qualified than her to manually launch a torpedo!). I imagined he would get down there and do it for her in a place she couldn't get to (like the probe Geordi uses in 'Interface'), but he arrived once she'd already done it. One thing's for sure - she can never get away from him or switch off his screen, again!

In the end we're not exactly told what's going on with the timeline. Braxton from the future says he never experienced the explosion they were trying to avert, but it's never stated categorically that the timeline of the past was changed - did tramp Braxton live out the rest of his life on Earth, never knowing the future was safe (what a sad existence), or did Earth revert to the 'true' timeline once Voyager was taken home? Is Chronowerx still responsible for the computer revolution of the late-20th Century in the Trek universe or not? Are we still part of the Trek timeline or not? These, and other questions were not addressed satisfactorily.

In the same vein, Starling's plan was a bit vague. Okay, we know he wanted to go to the future to grab some gadgets which he could turn into money-making advances in the past (just like Berlinghoff Rasmussen in 'A Matter of Time' on 'TNG'), but that's remarkably near-sighted for such a visionary. If he could go and live in the far future where life is so much better and lifespans are longer and there's no poverty, wouldn't he rather leave the 20th Century behind? Not that he'd necessarily know how good life is in that time (and technically, neither do we - just because the 23rd and 24th Centuries are all happy, with world problems worked out, doesn't mean things haven't gotten worse 500 years later). In the end, Starling showed himself to be less forward-thinking than he'd like, and that's another reason this concluding part doesn't work so well. Yet again it fell into the trap of being in the mindset of closing down the story instead of opening it up, and unlike the classic first part it is merely a good episode when it could have been great.

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